I can't be the only one that has been in the lineup at Walmart holding a big bag of Reece's mini peanut butter cups or Oreos thinking "I have lost. They defeated my willpower". Nope, not possible. I'm totally confident that there are several others who have been in the same position as me... Right?
Sometimes this happens to me. I have literally been in the lineup at a grocery store holding a huge tub of ice cream and a bag of chips thinking to myself don't do it man. It's loaded in preservatives. Preservatives cause cancer and diseases. You are on your death bed. This is going to kill you. Needless to say, I always leave the grocery store sweating buckets thanking Jesus that I didn't give in.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not bad at making treats. Better yet, they can't be bought or compared to something you can get at the store. Last night I was going through one of those hard craving moments and thought that I would take a stab at making my own homemade peanut butter cups but obviously a healthier option. Using simple ingredients and a little creativity, they turned out like little chocolate peanut-buttery truffle treats that are a little more guilt-free than the ones that come in a bright orange package.

Here's how it was done.
Ingredients:
*1 Camino Extra Dark Chocolate bar 
*1/2 bar of Camino Dark Chocolate with Coconut
*4tbsp PB2
*1/2 scoop Chocolate Iso whey protein
*3 tbsp almond milk
*Raw Cashews, chopped (optional as garnish)

In a small saucepan I melted an entire bar of Camino Extra Dark chocolate with half of a bar of Camino Dark Chocolate with Coconut and set it aside. In one of my mini cupcake tins I lightly greased the pan with coconut oil and poured a small amount of dark chocolate in 12 of the cups and put it in the freezer until it set.
In a small bowl, mix together 4tbsp of pb2 with tbsp water (to make the paste). Add in 1/2 scoop chocolate whey with the almond milk, a little at a time. Mix well.
Take the set chocolate out of the freezer and top with the peanut butter mix, and put back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Top off with remaining melted dark chocolate and put back in the freezer for 15 minutes. Once set, take them out of the freezer and pop them out of the cups with a knife and set on a plate upside down. If you are going to be fancy like I did, get your chopped cashews ready.

Love me some cashews :)

This is when things can get a bit tricky and only do it if you're good with a lighter. Using the lighter, lightly graze the top middle part of the peanut butter cup and quickly garnish with the chopped cashews so that they stay in place. They should then look like this:

Once you've done that, you can eat them. The texture of these bad boys aren't like typical peanut butter cups, only because the middle part isn't as powdery, rather more like a peanut butter toffee that's loaded in protein. If you aren't going to eat all 12 of them at once, put them back in the freezer until you're ready to enjoy again!

Yeah... They're pretty alright :)

<3

Oh yeah, here we go again. Another protein powder just released on the market and someone's gotta talk about it. 
See as much as I agree with that, this is one that I had to share with you simply because it was love at first sip. Pro Line Advanced Nutrition is a Canadian company based right here in BC, so you know you're getting a quality product made by a company that actually cares about what goes into their products. I had the opportunity to try it before I bought it, but what sold me over was the fact that it's sweetened with stevia and monk fruit extract as opposed to most protein powders which are sweetened with an artificial sweetener like sucralose. I mean don't get me wrong, I love the idea of sipping on a protein shake that tastes like the same birthday cake I had when I was 5 years old. What it comes down to however is that the more unnatural junk we put into our bodies, the more we experience unwanted side effects.

I think what tends to blind people from the junk that goes into products is that they look at a protein powder in a supplement shop and they see a new flavour and think, my goodness wouldn't it be amazing to have protein that tastes just like a red velvet cupcake?! Same. Next time you're due for some new protein, flip the container around and read the label. I try to keep it as clean as possible, sweetened with either stevia or xyla, something that will not make my blood sugars spike and eventually crash because we all know what that's like. Keep it clean, you'll feel better about spending the extra money on something that will benefit you more in the long run.

Yesterday I got to crack open the big 5lb container Pro Line Advanced Nutrition Iso-Advanced natural protein powder and whip up something yummy after a solid workout in the morning. The strawberry banana flavour literally lit up my senses, and I swear it's not because I was starving. I made myself a strawberry 'milkshake' to feed my muscles after running at the Apple Bowl track here in Kelowna, followed by an upper body plyometrics workout. I was actually surprised at how frothy the shake turned out to be after blending it all together! Here's what I did:

Ingredients:

*100g lactose-free, non-fat plain greek yogurt
*1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
*1/2 a banana
*4 strawberries
*1 scoop Pro Line Advanced Nutrition Iso-Advanced, strawberry banana flavour
*3 ice cubes

Blend everything together and drink up!

I had a hard time trying to savour this shake because it tasted that good. I have to say for a protein powder that has 31g of protein per 35g scoop, only 1g of fat, 1g of carbs and 1g of sugar, I am SO impressed with how good it tasted and better yet, no awful protein powder aftermath. If I can make any suggestion to anyone is to get your hands on this stuff. For those of you in Kelowna, head to Beyond Nutrition just up by Costco and Joey Kelowna, they'll hook you up! Have a great Sunday!

<3

Happy Hump Day! 
Woke up this morning feeling insanely energized and positive, felt the same yesterday as well. Something in the air perhaps? Maybe the rain is getting to me.
I had the pleasure of spending the morning with one of my closest girlfriends on a beautiful hike up Knox Mountain, regardless of the rain. I love being outdoors and putting this extra energy to good use. On the way up, we had discussed the fact that our gym here in Kelowna has started to carry this new juice which is made locally (what is this... local juice?!), so we decided that our post-hike reward would be to hit up this new fancy juice bar and see what it's all cracked out to be.

Glow Juicery in Kelowna has just earned itself two new regulars, that's how it has cracked out to be.
Walking into this hip little juice bar, I was so impressed right off the bat by how friendly the girls were in there. Offering samples of some of their incredibly addicting treats, along with extensive knowledge of where their products come from, I knew right away that this place was going to be a hit.
The thing about living in Kelowna, is that the city itself is still growing and developing. As a health fanatic, I am always seeking new places that offer gourmet yet healthy options that meet my specific macro breakdown in my diet. Let me tell you, Glow Juicery has definitely turned into one of my favourites.
This morning, I enjoyed the ener-g glow juice, which contains freshly squeezed pear, spinach, cucumber, celery and chlorophyll juices to fuel your body with a great deal of hydration. On the side, I had their red my mind salad which incorporates some wonderful and colourful greens topped off with their homemade dressing, I was in love. 

If anyone knows me, I'm a big time foodie. So when the girls started talking about their vegan, gluten-free banana cream pie we were won over. Like can we just get a load of this? It's real.

Sorry... I can't not get a close up of this thing. It doesn't do it justice otherwise. I'll just go ahead and admit that there were no leftovers.
We left Glow Juicery feeling clean and energized, without a sprinkling of guilt in our souls, only blissful happiness from head to toe. Needless to say, if you Kelowna people have heard of this place but have been hesitant to try it, get your little booties down there and get it in. I was absolutely blown away with the customer service and how clean it was in there. If you can't catch them during their open hours, Global Fitness Center right across the street has their juices fully stocked in their fridge. You can #showyourglow every day! So next time you are looking for a healthy option, head to Glow Juicery which is located at 1880 Dayton Street in Kelowna. Can't wait to go back!

<3

It's the first birthday I woke up feeling a year older. Not age wise, but maturity wise. It's also the first time I've felt as though I'm ready to take on this next year full force without having anyone hold me back. I had the best birthday yet... Woke up and smashed my leg workout with my amazing mom, sprinted Knox mountain in the blazing sun, enjoyed a fabulous lunch with my parents at Quails Gate Winery (I shared my dessert... I promise), and got to spend time with my two best friends who light up my life every single day... They're also the closest thing I have to siblings. Forever grateful for my sistas <3

Although birthdays may be overrated, and some people prefer to not even celebrate them anymore, I have come to the conclusion that it has to do with the fact that people are so caught in the moment that they actually choose to ignore smelling the roses and look at what's coming ahead for them. It's just a birthday, right? I don't think so. At least not this year. Given the fact that this is my last year before becoming a quarter of a century of age, I know in my heart that this is one of the best years to come. There is a lot to learn, and a lot to take in mentally, but the thing is if we don't let life do as it should for us, we aren't really getting anywhere.

I knew in my heart when I woke up Sunday morning, the day of my birthday, that this year would be different. This time last year, I was still involved in a relationship that had many restrictions on what I could and could not do, I was essentially trapped in my life and didn't know how I was going to get out. I spent an entire year ridding myself from the heartache that relationship caused and building my self-esteem back up from literally nothing. It took an entire year. At this point in my life I am not ready to publicly discuss how hard it was to make something of myself in the last year, but the one positive I can say is that I am a much happier, healthier human being than I was 365 days ago. I am forever grateful for those who have been able to step into my life and help me build myself back up. So with all of that said, my advice to those who are feeling like they are trapped or stuck in a rut whether it be with another individual or even themselves, ask yourself this: What can you do differently to make yourself happy? Sometimes it's the smallest tweak to your lifestyle that makes all the difference. Let yourselves be free. I know I feel that way... 24 is going to be an epic year.

<3

The mental state that I was in when I was on that stage last weekend was perfectly clear. I was fired up, excited, anxious, nervous, happy, and relaxed, all at the same time.
The last month of my prep was like tunnel vision for me... I had stage nostalgia like you wouldn't believe. This was the hardest prep I had ever endured, and I'll be totally honest... There were definitely times throughout my prep that I didn't think that I was going to do BC Provincials at all. 

Walking onto the stage at BCs was my second time ever walking on stage as a bikini competitor. "Oh you'll be fine, you've done this before!" everyone told me leading up to the show... But inside I knew this show as different. As a natural bikini athlete, I don't believe in steroids, I don't believe in any kind of stimulants, I just believe in hard work and dedication to feeling your best. Now, given that these are my own personal beliefs, I think that everyone is entitled to do what they choose to their bodies as they wish, but for myself I want to know that the way I looked on stage at BCs is the just the way that I look.
It's now been a week since I my show. My energy levels have shot through the roof, my mentality has improved drastically (I didn't feel this way on Monday let me tell you that), and I have hardly gained any weight... Overall I just feel better. But it took a week of me battling extreme depression to finally wake up the last three days feeling great. 
So, why would I be depressed? Why would I be going through such an awful stage of mind when I just had the time of my life on stage? I can't really explain why to be completely honest. It just happens... And I think 95% of people that do step on stage experience the same depression that I had this last week. Post Competition Depression as I like to call it. I had it my first show, and I even had it when I used to compete in Irish Dancing. So why? Why be upset about accomplishing something? Because I just busted my butt and dieted for 18 weeks, I lost 20 lbs, shaved my entire body, wore heels for an entire day, wore a sparkly bikini that I had glued to my ass and smiled as big as I possibly could, and now it's all over. 
It's all over. Done. Donezilla. So now what? Cue depression... now. This is when people don't like being around you because you're sad all the time, and for a good reason! I now had to sit and figure out what I was going to do with my life now that I'm planning on taking a year off of competing! That's a lot to think about. I don't know if the depression was bad this time because I did this prep alone, and when I was sad and wanted to be little spoon it wasn't an option for me (I know, whoa is me). But the bad news stops here... I figured it out.

Balance. Healthy, mindful balance. With my 24th birthday coming up tomorrow, my goal this next year is to find my own definition balance and live it. I'm a human being, I'm allowed to enjoy treats and workout 3 times a day sometimes and lay in bed for hours and watch seasons on seasons of Friends. I do not revolve my life around being a bikini competitor, rather I revolve my life around pursuing a healthy lifestyle and setting realistic goals for myself that are attainable. I will step on stage again, but whatever my next show may be, it will be tested. I am a natural bikini athlete after all! I am so looking forward to spending this next year focusing on bettering myself and my state of mind. Every day is a process, and a challenge; we live our dreams through our actions so whatever the day brings, own your goals and stay grounded. I am proud of myself for mastering this prep and bringing my personal best to the BCs stage, and that's all that matters. 

<3

They taste even better than they look, let me tell you that.

So today is my third day living a 'normal' life post competition, and instead of hitting my favourite frozen yogurt shop, I took my brains to my KitchenAid stand mixer.

What we have here are Coconut Bliss Bites, or my version of the gluten-free paleo bars you can get from BreadCo. here in Kelowna, except they're obviously better because I made them! Just a few simple ingredients and some time in the freezer is all that's needed.

INGREDIENTS:
*1/3 cup almond butter
*2 tbsp coconut oil
*2 tbsp honey
*1/3 cup organic shredded coconut, add more if you'd like more texture
*1/3 cup cashews, chopped up finely
*2 tbsp hemp hearts
*2 tbsp dried cranberries

Throw everything in your stand mixer and mix well. Drop onto a plate in ball shapes, or you could press them into a bread pan to eventually cut into squares. Freeze for 20 minutes and enjoy! Makes about 20 balls. 

Now obviously you're not going to eat the entire batch at once (I'm not judging), so once you've had your share, put back in the fridge until you're ready to eat again :)

"So, how did you get into this industry anyway?"
That's the question I get asked on a daily basis. Sometimes more than once a day! The truth is, there were several reasons why I got into this industry and how I'm still learning the ropes. It's not something that I just woke up to one morning and said to myself, yeah I'm going to start going to the gym now. As much as many of us would like to think and believe that it was that simple, it's really not! 
Growing up, I was always active. The scronny little girl in class that sure didn't play any sports, but I danced from the time I was 4 years old, and retired when I was 21. I did everything from ballet, jazz, hip-hop, musical theatre, tap, and highland, but what consumed my dance career was Irish dancing. I still remember watching Riverdance over and over again as a little girl, pretending like I knew how the dances went. It was then that my parents decided it would be a good time to get me involved in Irish dancing, and from there I was addicted.
I danced competitively in Irish for many years, and even had the opportunity to make it to the North American Nationals stage twice; once in Nashville, TN and again in Chicago, IL., and I knew when I walked off the stage in Chicago, that it was the last time I was going to compete. It wasn't that I was giving up on dance, I knew that I didn't want to push it out of my life completely either. I just couldn't stand to put my body through the pain it encountered my last competition. I knew I had to retire. 
The year following that, I experienced everything from an eating disorder to gaining weight to the point that I didn't feel like myself anymore. I knew I had to do something about it. My boyfriend at the time was heavily involved in football, he was this big muscular guy that spent countless hours in the gym. I didn't really understand why he liked it so much, until he got me to go with him one day. I never left.
A few months after pretending like I knew what I was doing, I got myself a personal trainer. Angelique has been my absolute fairy godmother when it comes to my fitness journey. She has literally taught me everything I know up to this point about lifting, competing, and self worth. She has watched me go through more than I'm sure that she had ever imagined, and I have every bit of me to thank her for it. So when I approached her telling her that I wanted to compete in a fitness competition, she got me to where I need to be to step on stage for the first time, and again the second time. I will never see anyone else for my personal training needs.
There is a huge difference between competing in a healthy way, and in an unhealthy way. Being a bikini competitor is not what consumes my every day life, and although it may for some people, I would much rather focus on what my goals are through health and wellness. Don't get me wrong, I love competing. I love picking a date and setting a goal for myself, but there needs to be a balance between that and your own sanity, and if there's anything I have learned from competing, it's that your sanity tends to lack towards the end of the road. I'm talking really, really not all there. 
Now that I have had the opportunity to compete at the provincial level, I know that in this next year I will be working towards bringing the best, healthiest, and balanced package with me for the next time that I step on stage. I've been so fortunate to have had the support from my family and friends throughout my entire life to get me to this point, and grateful that I have them for the future as well! This is a lifestyle by choice, and I am choosing to live it happy and healthy.